ED 098 740

AUTHORTITLE

INSTITUTION

SPONS AGENCY

PUB DATENOTE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

IDENTIFIERS

DI

EC 070 469

Cleveland, Marilyn; And OthersThe 1969-1970 Report of the Consulting TeacherProgram in the Chittenden Central School District.Chittenden Central School District, Essex Junction,Vt.; Vermont State Dept. of Education, Montpelier.Div. of Special Education and Pupil PersonnelServices.; Vermont Univ., Burlington. Coll. ofEducation.Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (DHEIVOE),Washington, D.C.[70]45p.; For related documents, see EC 070 466-472

MF-$0.75 HC-$1.85 PLUS POSTAGE*Behavior Change; *Consultants; Elementary Education;Exceptional Child Education; Handicapped Children;*Inservice Teacher Education; Operant Conditioning;*Parent Education; Program Descriptions; *RegularClass Placement; ReinforcementVermont

ABSTRACTReported is the 1969-70 school year of Vermont's

Consulting Teacher Program (Chittenden Central) during whichconsultants assLited 29 elementary school teachers in providingspecial educational services to 109 students, of whom the majoritywere placed in regular classrooms. Program services are described asencompassing direct consultation, weekly workshops for classroomteachers, parent conferences, and provision of special learningmaterials to all program participants. Included are reports of parentand teacher projects which focused on such topics as increasedattending behavior of a first grade girl; changes in accuracy andnumber of arithmetic problems done by a second grade boy; increasingstudy behavior as a result of decreasing inappropriate responses; anddawdling at suppertime. (GM)

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THE 1969-1970 REPORT OF THE

CONSULTING TEACHER PRCGRAM

IN THE CHITTENDEN CENTRAL

SCHOOL DISTRICT

A Cooperative Effort of the College ofEducation, University of Vermont; theDivision of Special Educational andPupil Personnel Services, Vermont StateDepartment of Education; and the ChittendenCentral School District under Title VI-A,ESEA.

Submitted by:

Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland

Mrs. Shirley Humphreys

Mrs. Betsy Schneider

Dr. Wayne L. Fox

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

PARTICIPANTS

CONSULTING TEACHER PROGRAM

SERVICE/RESEARCH PROJECTS

1

2

5

11

INCREASED ATTENDING BEHAVIOR OF A FIRST GRADE GIRL 12

by Mrs. Grace Pigeon and Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland

MODIFICATION OF THUMBSUCKING 17

by Mrs. Nancy Gilman and Mrs. Shirley Humphreys

CHANGES IN ACCURACY AND NUMBER OF PROBLEMS CJMPLETED

IN ARITHMETIC: A SECOND GRADE BOY

by Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland and Mrs. Sophia ilayer

INCREASING STUDY BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF Di.C.REASING

21

INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSES 26

by Miss Patricia Seaver and Mrs. Shirley Humphreys

ACQUISITION OF VOCABULARY WORDS 32

by Mrs. Thirley Humphreys and Mrs. Madelon Ohl

A :_,ECREAflE IN l'APENT REMINDERS FOR DRESSING 38

Ly Nrs. Marilyn Cleveland and Mr. and Mrs. Jones

DAWLLING AT CUPPEFTIME 40

Ly Mrs. Shirley Humphreys and Mr. Dittrich

1.

PREFACE

The Consulting Teacher Program is a cooperative effort of

the College of Education, University of Vermont; the Division of

Special Educational and Pupil Personnel Services, Vermont State

Department of Education; and Chittenden Central School District.

This program has been an integral part of the Chittenden

Central School District for two years, 1968-1969 and 1969-1970.

During this time, two consulting teachers-in-training, Mrs.

Marilyn (Dick) Cleveland and Mrs. Shirley Humphreys, have carried

out the program's activities.

A report of the activities and results of the first year

may bri found in "The 1968-1969 Report of the Consulting Teacher

Program, Volumes I and II." Copies of both volumes may be ob-

tained from the Consulting Teacher Program central office, 2

Colchester Avenue, Burlington.

The present report has been prepared so that administrators,

teachers, parents, and others in the Chittenden Central School

bistrict may review the activities and results of the 1969-1970

Consulting Teacher f'rogram in this district.

L.

PARTICIPANTS

We wish to acknowledge the support, cooperation, and

assistance of the following people:

Hazen F. Wood, Superintendent

Miss Beryle Gardner, Elementary Supervisor

John R. Burnett, Curriculum Coordinator

COLCHESTER

George E. Costello, Principal

Union Memorial School

Mrs. Mary Ann Davison, 1st grade

Mrs. Cynthia Feldman, 1st grade

Union Upper School

Xrs. Mar4orie Durett, 4th grade

Nrs. Sharon Larkin, 4th grade

E::,!A;/ CENTEP

bale Lanphear, Principal

:iowar:1 . Magnant, k_;sistant Principal

Birhwo School

BarLiva Clough, rele(vle day teacher for

Clr-veland, Thd grade

Mrs. Sophia Mayer, teacher-aide for Mrs. Cleveland

Mrs. Grace Pigeon, 1st grade

Miss Marie Stocking, 3rd grade

Main School

Miss Cheryl Ahokas, 1st grade

Mrs. Kathryn Bigelow, 2nd grade

Mrs. Delphine Orzell, 1st grade

Mrs. Charlene Staples, 2nd grade

White School

Mrs. Marjorie Devlin, 3rd grade

Mrs. Ann Osborne, 3rd grade

ESSEX JUNCTION

Chittenden Area Special Classes

Mrs. Sherry Chaisson, level one

Mrs. Martha Osmer, level one

Mrs. Pauline Roderer, teacher-aide

Hiawatha School

Edward F. Heyman, Principal

Miss Elizabeth Barrows, 2nd grade

:!!-s. Nancy Gilman, 1st grade

Mvs. Helena Jackmar, 1st grade

Mrs. Isabel MacGibbon, 1st grade

Mrs. Madelon Ohl, teacher-aide to Mrs. Humphreys

Miss Patricia Seaver, ;)th grade

Mrs. Mary Taft, 4th grade

Mrs. Margaret Williams, 2nd grade

Summit Street School

Robert A. Rouleau, Principal

Mrs. Lucille Allen, 3rd grade

Mrs. Alice Brown, 2nd grade

Mrs. Barbara Grady, 4th grade

Mrs. Frances Patrick, school nurse

Mrs. Joanne Rush, 4th grade

M:s. Linda Searles, transitional first/second grade

WESTFORD

Westford Elementary School

Ronald J. Gates, Principal

Mrs. Betty Fay, 4th grade

Mr.i. Kathleen Dates, 5th grade

CONSULTING TEACHER PROGRAM

Rationale and Goals

Handicapped learn2rs* comprise a substanticd proportion of

the public school population is Ve=ont. The Vermont State

Department of Education uses 'a 10 percent expectancy estimate

(Keller, 1968) to determine the approximate number of handicapped

learners in Vrrmont public schools. Based upon the 10 percent

expectancy, an estimated 243 handicapped learners in grades one

through :ive were in Chittenden Central schools during the 1969-70

school year. This figure is probably conservative, as other

re(!ent estimates of the handicapped population range from 15 to

20 percent.

Approximately 75 handicapped learners within the Chittenden

Central School District were placed full-time in special classes.

Other handicapped learners were removed from their regular classes

;'art -time: for instruction with one or move special teachers in

Ieadire, speech, dri,i motor-perception training. These children

remained in their regular classrooms the majority of the time with

regular class teachers. Thus, for most of a school day, approximately

170 handicapped learners were in regular classrooms conducted by

regular class teachers.

The Consulting Teacher F-rogram provided consultation to 29

Chitten Central ele1;.entary school teachers involving a total of

86 children. ;Ief-ial Educational service were provided to 23

other children' who were spccifically identified as handicapped

* The terra handicapped learner refers *o those children who arerhed.

learner:;. Services, in addition to direct consultation, included

weekly workshops for classroom teachers, parent conferences, and

provision of special learning materials which were made available

to all program participants.

Consulting Teacher Program services were provided by two

consulting-teachers-in-training (CTITs), Mrs. Marilyn (Dick)

Cleveland and Mrs. Shirley Humphreys, a University consulting

teacher, Mrs. Betsy Schneider, and a psychologist, Dr. Wayne L.

Fox. During the first year of the program (1968-69) the two CTITs

were released one day per week from their regular classroom dut.;.es

to fulfill University coursework requirements and to provide

requested consultation services to other elementary classroom

teachers. During the second year of the program (1969-70), CTITs

were initially provided two release days per week for academic

,Nork and consultation. At the beginning of the spring semester,

one CTIT (Mrs. Humphreys) was released from all classroom respon-

sibilities sa that she could provide consultation services on

a full time basis.

Teacher Workshops

A workshop for elementary teachers which offered three credits

toward Vermont certification requirements was held weekly throughout

the 1969-70 school year. The purpose of the workshop was to provide

training for classroom teachers so that they could develop the skills

necessary for managing and educating har:::'icapped learners within

their classrooms. Workshop topics included techniques for individ-

ualizing instruct on, the analysis of classroom behavior, classroom

observation and measurement, use cf special learning materials, and

presentation and discussion of specific procedures which have proved

successful in the modification of the preacademic, academic

and social behavior of handicapped learners. Each workshop

participant conducted a service/research project involving a

handicapped learner in his own classroom. Thirteen identified

handicapped learners received services from workshop participants.

Behaviors which were modified by workshop participants included

attending behavior, talking out, thumbsucking, study behavior,

acquisition of arithmetic number facts, and acquisition of reading

vocabulary words. Five of these projects are presented in the

Service/Research section of this report.

Consultation

Seventeen elementary classroom teachers who did not

participate in the teacher workshop received consultation

services from CTITs and other program staff. Services to these

consultees varied greatly. Some consultees were seen only a

few times; others received comprehensive services and success-

fully completed service/research projects i,. their classrooms.

Program services to consultees included aid in developing

classrcom obervation and measurement procedures, weekly classroom

observations, weekly conferences to discuss specific procedures

for modifying the behavior of handicapped learners, and help in

individualizing instruction and using special learning materials

which were made available by the program.

Nine identified handicapped learners received special

educational cervices in the classrooms of consultees. Behaviors

that were modified by consultees included attending behavior,

thami,sucking, aggressive behavior, and out of seat behavior.

Paren.c Conferences

Individual conferences were held with theparents of each

of the identified handicapped learners served in the Chittenden

Central school district. At these conferences the classroom

teacher and the CTIT discussed with the parents the particular

procedures being used to modify the classroom behavior of their

children. Whenever possible, the aid of the parents was enlisted

to provide support in the home for appropriate classroom behavior.

In all cases the parents' written permission was obtained for

their child to participate in the program.

In addition to individual parent conferences, parents were

invited to participate in monthly workshops administered by CTITs.

Topics covered at the parent workshops included basic principles of

behavior analysis and procedures for observation and measurement

of defined behaviors. Eight parents attended workshops regularly

and conducted successful service/research projects for their

children at home. The following behaviors were modified by

parents: tidiness, thumbsucking, dawdling at meals, bossiness,

hanging up clothes, wearing an eye patch, bed wetting, aggress-

iven-ss, getting ready for school, and finishing food on plate

at mealtimes. Two parent projects are presented in the Service/

Research section of this report.

Special Learning Materials

Special learning materials were made available to all

program participants. Materials included standard elementary

texts not available in the schcol district, texts developed

especially for handicapped learners, and supplementary materials

for use with standard texts. Materials were made mailable in

the curriculum areas of reading, arithmetic, language arts,

penmanship, science, and social studies. In addition to those

commercially produced, learning materials developed by the Con-

sulting Teacher Program staff were also used ext,.nsively by part-

icipants. These materials were programmed for individual learners

in both reading and arithmetic. In several classrooms these

material:, were used for all children in the class to provide a

completely individualized academic program. One such individ-

ualized reading program for 23 first graders is described in the

Service/Research section of this report.

Other Activities

CTITs and program participants from Chittenden Central school

district participated in a number of additional activities during

the school year. At the end of the school year both CTITs were

on schedule in their M. Ed. program at the University. CTITs

male presentations describing the program to teachers and admin-

istrators in this district and in other districts throughout

Vermont. Program staff, with the cooperation of district admin-

istration personnel, successfully sought and received federal

funding for a three year program which will extend the services of

the Consulting Teacher Program in the Chittenden Central school

Jistrict to an estimated 80 handicapped learners for the 1970-71

school year. In the spring, program participants were invited

to the First Annual Behavioral Education Convention where two

consultees made presentations. Also, in the spring, CTITs attended

a Leadership Training Institute in Wasllington, D. C.. sponsored

Ly the Bureau of Education Professions Development, to promote

community involvement in educational decisions.

J 1.

Summary and Conclusions

The Consulting Teacher Program provided special educational

servict.s to 23 identified handicapped learners and their parents

in the Chittenden Central School District during the 1969-70

school year. Twenty-nine elementary teachers received consultation

services, nine of whom also successfully completed an accredited

in-service workshop. Other activities included presentations to

teachers and administrators, participation in professional meetings

and fulfillment of University M. Ed. coursework requirements.

Program objectives of participants, CTITs, and program

staff could not have been achieved without the excellent cooperation

and active involvement of the Chittenden Central administrative

staff, building principals, and other supporting professionals.

11.

SERVICE/RESEARCH PROJECTS

The following service/research projects were conducted

by workshop participants, consultees, and parents during the

1969-70 school year. Projects were selected to be representative

of the behaviors modified and procedures used. The names of

111 learners described in the projects are fictitious to

preserve their anonymity.

12.

INCREASED ATTENDING BEHAVIOR OF A FIRST-GRADE GIRL

by

Mrs. Grace Pigeon and Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland

Subject and Setting

Vivian was a six-year-old girl in a heterogeneously grouped

first-grade class of 20 children. She was selected for study

because of her disruptive behavior which often annoyed other

children, her short attention span, and an apparent lack of in-

terest in school.

Behavior Definition

The objective of this study was to increase Vivian's attending

behavior, which was defined as face orientation toward work paper,

book and perception game on her desk, or toward a story which vas

written on the board when she was directed to complete a copying

assignment. She was also considered to be attending when obtaining

work materials (such as a pencil or crayons) from her desk, leaving

the room for a three minute period to use the bathroom, or obtain-

iniT help at a fellow student's desk if her work was with her. Upon

completion of assigned work, permissible behavior was quietly ob-

taining and playing a "learning game", alone or with a "buddy".

!.'.;:trials

Work material; each day included some combination of the

foll,wint:: a p.nmanship paper, phonics work, alphabet words, a

sLe..t, or arithmetic work.

Lata Pecordinp and reliability Prncedi

Atten,11:4g behavior waq sampled at three minute intervals

13.

during an indelendent seatwork period from 9:00 to 10:15. Ten

measures of attending behavior were recorded during 30 minutes

(,f this period. The teacher used a three-minute e'g timer to cue

horseif for sample times. The first sample recorded at the

end of the first three minutes indicated when the .iand in the

top half of the glass had run into the bottom half. The teacher

turned the egr. timer over and replaced it on the table. She then

1(:0(.! at Viviin and recc,rded a "+" if she wt.,: engaged in per-

behlvicr. :f she was engaged in other liehavir'rs, a "-"

Was recorded.

'ccasionally, another observer measured attending behavior

the teacl,er. The observer was cued for sampling by the tap

of the timer as it was returned to the table by the teacher.

These reliability observations were made at least once in each

inl six times in Condition II. Measures recorded by

tio, teacher and observer were compared i n .,?.rval by interval.

As.reement '41 these measures averaged 93%.

he teacher And observer both tallied each time the teacher

raisod Viviin when she was attending.

C,:r1,...itic,n I: irocedures

:Airing Condition I, the teacher worked at the reading tA.ble

with one small reading group after another. Children not in the

re at the fable worked on assiuled seltwork activities.

teacher occasi-nally reminded individuals to attend to

their -;eatwr)rk and praise -! the whole group for being "vood quiet

The sel,fom directed praise to individual children, and

nevf Vivian during crindition. for 17 days

14.

Vivian's attending behavior averaged 53%, ranging from 22%

to 80%.

The results are shown in Figure 1. Daily percentages; of

attending behavior shown on the graph were calculated IA, dividing

the total number of "f' intervals by ten, multiplied by 100.

The open circles are observer measures and the closed circles are

teacher measures. Large closed circles indicate perfect agreement

Letwf-on teacher and observer.

CONDITION commasDAYS

CONDITION I CONDOM a

TUCKEDCOSIIIVEN

Figure 1. A record of Vivian's attending behavior.

II: -2eacher !rai-;0 Contingent Upon Attending Rohavior

n the 18th day the tea'her verbally praised Vivian whenever

he Wa attending to her assigned work. For 26 days the number

rfr r f,leven.

incresed to an average of 82%, ranging from 31 1, tr, 100%.

Con.lition I: keturn to P.aseline Procedures

Fcr six lays the teacher returned to the same procedures

she had used during the first period, that is, no direct verbal

rai,e for Vivian. rigure I shows the marked decrease in Vivian's

attending behavior. '-Jr1 the sixth day it dropped to 201.. The

lverage for the period was 49%, ranging from 20% to 700 .

:n the first day of this period, as the teacher praised

eyeril of the chil!ren fcr gool vor}, Vivian was heard t.r.: say,

"In.1 Vivian, ton". :r1 the third day, :is her telcher stood with

two ,,thers ,n the playground, Vivian walked up to them. The

sii to one teacher, "You have a pretty dress on, " and to the

-.,)nd teacher, "I like your hair." She looked at her own

teucher, said not a word, then turned and walked away.

dition II: r'etur'n to Contingent Teacher Praise

The teacher rvain directed verbal praise to Vivian when she

4c:attending to her assigned work. For the nine days shown in

Figure 1 ittendinp behavior increased to an average of 76%,

ranging tr,,m E,0% to 90%. This increase occurred even though

the lm,,unt of teacher praise was reduced to an average of four,

ranging from 'hree to seven. The amount of praise averaged only

half that of the previous Condition II procedure.

a- te,l.her praise Viviin cor attending to her

in l nex: !uy_; not -..;own in Figure I the number of

r.:41:7 'Mee per I,eriod, 1.Inrini from r,ne to six.

Atten.:in;- ,-,,htinu,bi to increase aryl average,: 91.

!,1, 117 r!,crPa5e(1 the amount of pr:- e;';, for

16.

Vivian to t.hat more nearly Equalling praise given by other

teachers. (This may be the amoulA or praise a..aiable to Vivian

from her teacher next year.) The teacher noted that Vivian was

no longer disruptive and inAttent4.,e. She completed her work

carefully and neatly. She became a good "buddy" when working

with others. In additon, Vivian was promoted to a regular

second-Rradc!

17.

1JLUICATIO:: Or THUMBSUCIUNG

rs. Nancy '31.1man and mrs. Shirley Humphreys

E'up it an..1 'lassroom

Carol, a six-year-old girl, was one or 23 children in a

regular first-grade clasze. Her mother reporte' that Carol had

:.t,trte; sacking her right thumb in early childhood. Thumbsucking

continue( a in school and :nterfered with Carol's academic perfor-

mance.

Lehavior

Thumbsucking '4as defined as whenever the right thumb was

inserted in the

Data Recorlina and Reliability Procedures

Carol's *.humbmIcking was recorded daily at 1:00 p.m.

when the teacher real to th?. children. The teacher recorded the

tune when she started reading and the time when she finished.

1:eadini, usually lasted 15 minutes. Whenever Carol's thumb was

in her mouth during this period, the teacher activated a stop

watch. When the thumb was out of the mouth the watch was stopped.

Daily percentages of thumbsucking were calculated by dividing the

cumulated th.,:mbL,ucking time, by the total minutes cf story time,

mu1Liplied by 100. Approximately once a weel.. another observer

recorded data in the same manner as the teacher. Agreement be-

tween thumbsking time recorded by the teacher and observer

lveraged 95%.

11._;01in(! ivon,.!dur

the LaLieline conditions, the teacher read from :;tory-

I.00i.s containing many pictures which were held up to the class as

18.

the story progressed. While showing pictures, the taacher asked

questions of the class as a whole, such as "What do you think

the rabbit will do next?" She seldom directed a remark to one

chill.

Figure I is a record of Carol's thumbsucking during the

story period. During the 16-day baseline period, thumbsucking

occurred, on t3n average, 94% of the time.

1/

1

oo 111011111110011011111111101 MOSSaggiTION CgigT1010 COMMTION 1 COMMON g

CLASS DAYS

.111101gON g

Figure 1. A record of Carol's thumbsucking.

II: Continent Teacher rraise

'Al the 17th day during a class discussion just before the

:story was real, the children identified the following behaviors

1.; those demonstrated by a " goo,, audience": hands folded and on

-,trai;;Lt with fac:e o.nd eyes directed toward

the reader, anl feet on the floor under the desk. ror several

weeks these behaviors were reviewed just before the story was read.

19.

When all members of the class assumed "good audience" position,

the teacher started to read. Thereafter, through the school

year, the teacher waited for the "audience position" before she

started to read. Occasionally she prompted by saying, "Where are

your hands and feet?"

The teacher verbally praised those children adopting the

"good audience" position. Carol was always included among those

who received praise if she demonstrated the appropriate behavior.

Praise remarks included statements such as, "Good, I like

the way you are sitting." If Carol was thumbsucking, the teacher

praised those children seated around her. Usually, Carol assumed

"good audience" position and was then praised. Figure 1 shows

that during the 22 days of Condition II, thumbsucking decreased.

For the first eight days the behavior was variable, ranging from

a low of 4% to a high of 87%, and averaging 36%. However, for

the following 14 days, thumbsucking stabilized and averaged 3%.

For the entire period thumbsucking averaged 15%.

Condition I: Return to Baseline Procedures

To verify that teacher praise was the variable controlling

the change in thumbsucking, the teacher no longer verbally praised

"good audience" position. She made remarks to the whole cla::s

abo4t the story and pictures, as she had during baseline period.

During the 22 days of this procedure, Carol's thumbsucking

increased to an average ref 52%.

Condition II: Return to Contingent Teacher Praise

When the teacher again praised children contingent upon

,;ood audience" position, Carol's thumbsucking fluctuated, ranging

from 0% to 97%, an,1 averaging, 26% for the 29 days of this period.

Condition III: Withhold Story Readin&

In an attempt to eliminate the variability of Carol's

thumbsucking, the teacher continued to praise "good audience"

position, and she introduced a consequence tor thumbsucking

behavior. When Carol's thumb was in her mouth, the te&Awr

stopped reading. She looked at the classroom wall and avoided

eye contact with the children. When Carol removed the thumb from

her trouth, the teacher continued the story. Thumbsucking immedia-

tely lecreased to an average of 1% for 18 days. The results of

the first ten days of this procedure are shown in Figure 1.

i:iscussion

Because the consequences of withholdi;Ig story reading was

L-;.) effective in modifying Carol's thumbsucking behavior, the

teacher decided to include several other children in the contin-

4cncies. These children had started thumb, fist, or finger

,uckinc :;ever al weekl; after school began. For the remainder of

the school year, during story time, the teacher stopped

reading whenever any chin in the clasf; was thumb, fist, or

t;h4er sucking. This procedure virtually eliminated the behavior.

21.

CHANGES IN ACCURACY AND NUMBER OF PROBLEMS COMPLETED IN ARITHMETIC:

A SECOND-GRADE BOY

by

Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland and Mrs. Sophia Mayer

Third-grade teachers have often complained that children

:ome from second grades with inadequate knowledge of basic addition

dnd subtraction facts. In an attempt to insure that second-grade

children would indeed learn the basic number facts, a teaching/

learning procedure was arranged in which the facts were first

taught, then tested almost daily. The teaching/learning procedure

provided for precise measurement of rate changes in number of

problems completed and accuracy of computation of all the children

in the class. This study describes the procedures used with one

child who initially snowed little improvement in rate of accuracy

of completed problems.

21.2lialr and Setting

teve was seven years old, in a heterogeneously grouped second

grade class of 20 children. In the first grade the previous year,

his inaccurate performance in arithmetic had led his first grade

teacher to stress accuracy in computation with a resultant decrease

in the rate at which Steve completed his arithmetic assignments.

Behavior

The academic behavior was definea as the number of complete

and correct responses on a two-minute time test in arithmetic.

A teacher-prepared worksheet consisting of 100 addition and

-;uLtraction problems was given every pupil each day. Each problem

contained two one-digit numbers from 0 through 9. The same basic

22.

number 1,tets were on each worksheet but arranged in a different

order from day to day.

Data Recording and 1:eliabilita Procedures

The total number of responses completed and the total number

correct were recorded daily for each child in the class. Immedia-

tely following the daily two-minute time-test the teacher-aide

corrected the papers and recorded the two scores at the top of each

paper. A second observer also scored the responses once a week. In

cases of disagreement on the scores, the papers were rechecked

until 100% agreement was reached.

Procedure 1

A stop watch was used to measure the two-minute period which

started at 8:45 each morning. The instruction, "You may begin,"

was given by the teacher. At the end of the two minutes, the

teacher said, "Stop, please," and papers were collected.

The tear.her did not interact with the children during the

two minutes nor was any feedback given concerning elapsed time

or pupil progress.7

23.

0A, ,

it P.4 It 14/

#I I

25 30 S5 sow 65 10 71116 90 90 9703 es ixPROCEDURE I BAR GRAPH PROCEDURE I MR GRAPH CONTRACT

SESSIONS-4 COMPLETED PROBLEMS

CORRECT MOSLEMS

Figure 1. A record of the number of arithmeticproblems completed and the number correct on a two-minute time-test. The data points represent onlythe last 10 days of each procedure.

Procedure 1 extended for 29 days. Steve completed an average

of 25 arithmetic responses each day, ranging from 15 to 33. The

number of correct responses averaged 24 and ranged from 12 to 33.

Lar Graph Condition

Preceding each daily time-test, the teacher showed Steve a

bar graph with the number of correct answers obtained during the

previous day's two-minute time-test. Steve was instructed to color

the bar to the point which represented the number of examples

correctly completed if there had been an increase over the previous

day, or if the number remained the same. Verbal praise from the

teacher accompanied her instructions. If there had been a decrease,

the bar graph was placed on Steve's desk and no praise was given.

On those occasions, he was instructed not to color the bar graph.

This procedure was carried out for 10 days.

24.

2sults showed an increase in both number completed and num-

ber correct. Steve completed an average of 39 problems, ranging

from 25 to 43. correct problems averaged 38, ranging from 25

to 43.

Return to Procedure 1

T11:. teacher returned to her original procedure in which she

no longer gave Steve the bar graph nor praised him for increases.

This procedure was continued for 32 days. Steve's rate of aca-

demic performance continued ,o increase and averaged 51 problems

completed, ranging from 31 to 80. The average number of problems

correct increased slightly to 43, ranging from 25 to 57.

Bar :xlph Condition

The bar graph was again presented to Steve each day just

before the time-test. For 26 days, the average number completed

each day showed a large increase over the previous period. The

average was 73, ranging from 56-100. The number correct showed

a smaller increase, averaging 5U and ranging from 39-61. in

Figure 1, this is flepicted by the separatit.n of the solid and

broken lines. On day 97, he completed all problems; however, only

59% were correct.

Contract Condition

Analysis of Steve's work revealed that many of his incorrect

responses were zero answers. The contract condition was introduced

tc, 1,2c:reuse these inappropriate responses. On the first day of the

':ontract procedure, the te icher showed fAeve one of his previous

papers on which tic, had made many inappropriate zero responses. A

verLal contvact was madc with Steve. The teacher told him ,:he

woui'l like him to mark ,lawn zeros only when they were correct

answer:,. :;he told him that on days he made fewer or the same

number of incorrect zero responses as on the previous day, he

could earn time for some activity of his choice. During this

condition, on days when he met the criterion, Steve listened to

a record immediately following the time-test. The procedure

for presenting the bar graph remained the same.

For the 35 days of this procedure, the number of incorrect

zero answers averaged 1, ranging from 0 to 16. The 16 incorrect

zero responses occurred on the first day of this period. The

number of completed responses decreased to an average of 54,

ranging from 41 to 75. Correct responses averaged 46 and ranged

from 30 to 67. The average number of problems completed and the

number correct were now more nearly equal as Figure 1 shows.

Discussion

At the end of his second-grade year, Steve completed, on the

average, twice as many facts each day as he had in September. His

performance in accuracy was improved over that occurring during a

large part of the school year. At the end of the school year,

Steve advanced to a regular third grade.

INCRUAING STUDY BEHAVTOP Af7 A REf3ULT or DIXREASIMI

inPrrTPIATE Prsronsu

by

Pat.rieia '.',eaver and Mrs. Shirley Humphreys

servi.'e/re:4earch project was conducted in the "slower"

(:'t three departmentalized fifth-grade groups studying ocial

,tedi and Lngli:lh. fn an attempt to develop good stud.: Le-

:.av: .1 lmoni: these ,'hildren, the tedehel implemented reinforcement

prc'edure3 for all 12 pupils during their Social studies and

i.nr1i7h ':enorallv, children received attention only

when they were lemon4trating appropriate classroom behavior'.

:nlppropriate behaviors were ignored.

Behaviors

The teacher measured the study behavior of three pupils

1-.c had been reported by previous teachers to be "problem"

1 1 i , behavi-.:r was defined as the pupil's face

-ri-n-d

(1) !)-_oks, paper:;, mar:, overhead projector, chalkboard,

dnd other materials designated by the teacher.

(:) the teacher or another stuuent reciting to the class.

While recording study behavior, the teacher also measured

;.; r. 1te responses. Inappropriate behavior was defined as:

(1) r.f ;,it (except when goiru to "basement", to

ieneils, to patrol duty, or to fire drill).

(1) t.114 in;: out.

(:1) interrupting the teacher.

L

(4) talking to peers (except during peer projects

designated by the teacher).

(5) vocal noises, such as whistling and humming.

(6) motor noises (physical contact with any object

'other than instructional tools designated by the

teacher, i.e., banging, knocking, etc.).

Data Recording and Reliability Procedures

Frequencies of inappropriate responses for the three children

wcze recorded daily during Social Studies and English periods.

Study behavior was sampled at two minute intervals for 30 minutes

during these same classes. The teacher recorded a "+" if the child

wa:: attending and a "-" if he was not. At each recording time, the

teacher always looked at the three pupils in the same order and

then recorded the data. During this same interval, a tally was

We when an inappropriate behavior occurred. An observer periodi-

cally recorded pupil behaviors with the teacher. The observer was

rued at sample time by eye contact and a heal nod from the teacher.

Percentage of agreement for study behavior averaged 92%, ranging

from 70% to 100%. Frequencies of inappropriate responses tallied

by the teacher and observer matched closely.

Procedure I: Contingent Teacher Attention

string the data collection period the teacher directed a class

discussion and called upon children who raised their hand. Follow-

ing the oral discussion, related written work was assigned. During

the independent aork time, the teacher circulated around the class

and ;poke with those children who were studying quietly. She

sometimes reminded pupils to attend to their work.

28.

irocelur,, if: ,.ontinrent Teacher Attention and Consistent lynoring

On the first day of Izocedure II, at the beginning of the

.tudie., period, the pupils identified behaviors appropri,te

for vonA c1,1::t.: discussions. No mention wac, made of appropriate

'oehavior-i at the beginning of the English class which immediately

followed the social Studies period. However, during both classes,

the teacher vetLally praised children who demonstrated these he-

hiv: r. :uring both periods, she consistently ignored all

!:;r,priate resiones noted in the .1efinition.

!II: 'leacher Attention to Inappropriate Responses

:uvinz iro,....edur,2 III the teacher no longer ignored inappro-

priate Lonivior. Whenever children emitted inappropriate behaviors,

the teacher reminded thcm to return to work, to sit down, or other

reminders usually used for classroom management. The teacher con-

atteno to quiet study behavior.

r:ce-I.:re I I : :)eturn to Contingent Teacher Attention to

1..enav ior and Consistent Ignoring of Inappropriate

i:ehavicir

iroce,!ure II was reinstated. The teacher frequently attended

to children who were demonstrating appropriate behavior and consist-

ently ignored inappropriate behavior.

esults

ALLAN

tUlan a 10 Year old boy whose former teachers reported

t!.t he Li' poor work habits, engaged in disruptive behavior,

interest in school, and had a history of irregular school

ittendanoe. He had been absent from school an average of 21

29.

days each of the previous four years. In the fall of 1969,

on the Otis-Lennon Quick-Scoring Mental Ability Test, Allan

scored within the normal range. On the Iowa Test of Basic

Skills, he scored slightly below grade level.

Table 1 is a record of Allan's inappropriate responses and

study behavior. Percentages of study behavior were calculated

by dividing the total number of "+" scores by the total number

of samples taken, multiplied by 100.

Table 1. Average number of inappropriate responses andpercentages of study behavior in each procedurefor Allan.

study behavior

Inapprop. resp.

Procedure I Procedure II Procedure III Procedure I

83% 97% 93% 97%

9 2 5 2

The data indicates that there was a decrease in inappropriate

responses and a concurrent increase in study behavior during Pro-

cedure II, when the teacher consistently ignored inappropriate

responses and attended to appropriate responses. During Procedure

III, when the teacher attended to inappropriate responses, these

responses occurred at higher rates than in Procedures I and III

even though study behavior remained relatively constant.

Allan's former high rate of absenteeism was reduced to four

days (luring the school year. Near the end of the year, the three

teac.ters in the department described his behavior as cooperative

and eager. On` teacher said his behavior "is proof of what a

little praise and oncouragement can do."

30,

KATHY

Kathy was an 11-year old girl who had repeated second

grade. 1:ecause her work was below grade level at the end of

the f(-ulth grade, she was placed in the fifth grade on a

"tranter" banis. In the fall of 1959, on the Iowa Test of.

Basi,- Skills, K.athv scored at 4.1 grade level. In the fall

of nt,71 on the tis-Lennon Quick- Scoring Mental Ability Test,

131. Two years later, in the fall of 1969, she ,cored

97. ic.inth-gra.le teachers reported that she had difficulty

.iwn to work and had great need of special help.

1:0 her mother dec;,:i'ibed her as in "oonf3tant rebellion"

at :.cme.

TAble 2 a record of Kathy's inappropriate behavior

anl stu.iv behavior under the conditions of this study. It can

th,lt ihaiproi-riate behavior decreased and her stud;:

ac; a function of teacher attention during

Average number of inappropriate reIponses and::ercentages of study behavior in each proceduref-,r Kathy.

beavirProcedure I Procedure II Procedure ITT Procedure II

859 98% 93% 97%1,-

8 1 4 2

I........m

EARL

E,n1 was an 11-year-old boy who had repeated first grade.

Previr,u- teacher.'; described him a'; immature. They reported that

31.

he had difficulty settling down and following instructions.

Last year he had been the subject of a project to increase

his attending behavior conducted by his fourth-grade teacher,

assisted by a consulting teacher-in-training. The fifth-grade

teacher wished to continue monitoring his progress on a daily

basis. In the fall of 1967, on the Otis-Lennon Quick-Scoring

Mental Ability Test, he scored below the normal range. However,

in the summer of 1969, on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for

Children, he scored within the normal range.

Table 3 indicates that the frequency of Earl's inappropriate

behavior and study behavior was a function of teacher attention.

Near the end of this school year, department teachers stated

ne had settled down and seemed to have matured. However, his

behavior varied and inappropriate responses stil occurred.

Table 3. Average number of inappropriate responses andpercentages of study behavior in each procedurefor Earl.

Study behavior

Inapprop. resp.

Procedure I Procedure II Procedure III Procedure II

86% 96% 93% 97%

7 2 3

Summary

The results of this project indicate that acceptable stud

behavior occurred most frequently when inapproriate responses

were consistently ignored and pupils wee given teacher attention

contingent iicn good study habits.

!rs

ACc:UTSITION or VOCABULARY WORDS

1,y

-nirlev Humphreys and Malelon C111

,7hiL:ren to read a story flently, they must first Le

ible to readily identify those individual vocabulary wordL; foundrt

in the .:tc:r/. There are a number of different ways that children

This study describes a metiv-si of

m..,A,urement of pupil ierf-.)rmance on vocabulary

wor-.1 fcr in entire ('lass of first graders.

,..1ilften 'ottiniis

This 1,ro-ct wa, couducted with 23 children in a hetero-

ren)u::ly-k7rouped rerular first-grade class. A few of the children

4 attended kindergarten. Although no fcrmal pre-test was ad-

medrs rea performance at the beginniw of the

was :!etermined that most nt the children ew

of the letters of the alphabet and a few

w(;rd!,.. The project was started at the

"_.:tober after ;Ill of the rhildren had been exposed to

readiness activities from the beginning of school.

id.ehavior

A correct response was defined as reading a single

first try when presented an individual

w_rt

In !iyi,!;Ial tavks of word r...ards were prepared for each child.

. car . t,rinf.e,1 word from first-grade rq-

reailinc7, Lool,.-;. The 350 first-)'ra ord-; were the

vocabulary words listed in the back of the Ginn Basic Reading

series: la Little Red Story_ Book, Mx Little Green Story Book,

Mx Little Blue :tory Book, Little White House, On Cherry Street,

Open the Gate. The 300 second-grade words were from the

Ginr series 21 Reader, We Are Neighbors, and the 2

2 Reader,

Around the Corner, and from the Scott Foresman 21 Reader, Down

the nntling River. Vocabulary words were presented to the

eh:I:len in the same order as they were introduced in the books.

al i t,,rording

The vocabulary words were listed in order on individual

data sheets. The teacher recorded a check on the child's data

sheet whenever a word was read correctly. No check was made if

the child responded incorrectly or if there was no response.

Cumulative totals of number of words each child had learned

were recorded for each session.

Procedure I

iefore each child started to read, the teacher said to him,

"I want to see hov many words you know." The first 24 word cards

in the order of their appearance in the basic readers were presented

one at a time to each child. Correct responses were checked on a

data sheer in view of the child.

The teacher prepared each child's pack of 24 word cards before

trial. After a word had been said correctly on three consecu-

tive trials, that word card was transferred to the child's pack of

"learned" %./...1 ;s. The teacher kept both cav'd packs for all the

children. Occasionally, due to lack of time for clerical tasks,

a "learned" word was not removed immediately from the word pack.

Each presentation of 24 words constituted a trial. Trials were

.:(_1,1uct-e,A tr,)m tr) 10:00 every morning. since approximately

Qf the claos could be tested in a morning, each child

La,! tw,.) i.ur week. Three trials constituted a session.

Awon.

t0:;!.

r' tr, war.,

1 q rts limited to 24 words throu0 18 trials (6

the children. Beginning on trial 19, the

doublo to 8 words for those childrer who learned

it least 2r words in a single session.

ro !ur e 11

t1rial .

-) -, :of .re ,!-Aldren to read from their word

the tea,--ner stated that the children with three checks after

re,eive that word card to keep at the end of the trial.

;tared their learned word cards in a sm,111 drawer

Very occasionally, the children could use their cards

::lassroom activities.

Feturn to this Procod,rre nr 10 Children

11. to 1c2tel!%ine the effect of giving the cards to the

+ -±11,:ren were remover from this contingency

zt ':0-;ri.bn 1 These ten children were told

L 4.-:a -her that she mould not Rive them any word cards. he

hr! ne led ,1% them rlri thrit she would keep the cards

ih h-r ln: rt.turn them as soon a :; she could. This prccedure

ntinle! f-or three ;essions. buring thes(, sossions, several of

,i,!m,.ni-;he-! the tc-her with expressions such

H. it rir.ht," or, "Work on the weekend,"

'.thc!!" in the still receivr?d card'; try put

e.her ,:rawer.

r r! :1 : r; to th i iroce

the first of session 15 the ten children were av,ain

35.

given their learned words in the same manner as were the other

children.

Retention Test

Three months after the beginning of the study, between

sessions nine and ten, all of the children had accumulated packs

of learned word cards. For the next seven school days, one

child at a time was presented with his entire pack of learned

word5. Number of cards in a pack at this time ranged from 81

to 350. A retention score was calculated by subtracting the

number of words missed from the tote number of words in the

child's pack of learned words.

Results

The class learned an average of 487 words during the 51

trials (17 sessions) of this project. As a whole the class

learned 99% of the 350 first-grade words and 50% of the 300

second-grade words. Individual children varied greatly in the

total number of words that each learned. The fastest learner

had learned a total of 724 words through session 17, while the

slowest learner had learned a 'total of 367 words. Every child

in the class had successfully completed the first-grade Ginn

Basic Reading series by the end of the school yearpand many were

reading successfully in the second-grade reading series.

The range of number of trials on which one word was presented

varied. For many children, words were read correctly on the first

session in which they were presented. That is, the word was said

correctly on the first day it was presented, and on the two succeed-

ing trial days. However, one word was presented to one child on

18 successive trials, and never read correctly three times in

36.

succession. The seh)ol year ended, and the word remained in

her test pack.

For most children the effect of keeping their learned

wcr c'ar'd:; wl minimal. I hey learned just as many words during

Irocedure 11 as they had during Procedure I. This was not true

for all the .,-hildren. Figure 1 presents the graphs of two

(:hildrc,n who performed better when given their learned word

tc keep during' frocedure II.

? 3 4 5 6 0 / .3 .4 6PROCEDURE I PROCEDURE I

PROCEDURE U PROCEDURE II

SESSIONS

PROCEDirRE I PROCEDURE IPROCEDURE U PROCEDURE II

-- FIRST GRADE WORDS- SECOND GRADE WORDS

Figure 1. Two individual records of thepercentages of first and second-gradev(Jcabulary words learned during eachprocedure.

rel:;,ilts of the retention test showed that almost all of

the enil-iren in the glass remembered 90% or more of the words in

their lQarn ed word packs. Pesults ranged from 80, to 99%. The

classrocAn teacher reported that all children in the class scored

well on the qinn Test given at the end of the year. Scores

designated as "average" on the Ginn Test range from 83 through

100. The lowest score obtained by any child in the present

class was 91. Five children scored 100. Ten children scored

in the "superior" range, one of them obtaining a perfect score.

Discussion

Further investigation of the effectiveness of the variables

influencing vocabulary learning is indicated. This project

demonstrated that precise measurement of reading responses can

be achieved by the classroom teacher. Daily records of per-

formances for individual children can indicate conditions under

which each child learns best. Such continuous measures of

individual progress can provide teachers with a tool for monitor-

ing the educational growth of all children.

38.

A DECREASE IN PARENT REMINDERS FOR DRESSING

by

Mrs. Marilyn Cleveland and Mr. and Mrs. Jones

Paul was a six-year-old boy, described by his parents as

"taking forever to get dressed in the morning." The mother

reported it usually took Paul from five to 30 minutes to get

dressed with frequent "reminders" and, occasionally, "yelling

veminders."

Procedure I

For three weeks the parents observed, recorded, aril graphed

the number of times they told Paul to get dressed, and the number

of minutes that it took Paul to dress in the morning.

Figure 1 shows that the parents spoke to Paul zero to 13

times, with the average being seven times in 24 days.

PROCEDURE I10

MORNINGS

PROCEDURE U

39.

Procedure II

At the beginning of day 25, Paul was told that an oven timer

would be set for three minutes every morning after he was awakened.

If Paul was dressed before the timer went off, he would earn St

which could be saved towards buying a bicycle light. On days he

took longer than three minutes to dress, he would not earn the St.

Figure 1 shows that the number of reminders the parents gave Paul

immediately decreased to zero under this procedure.

Discussion

At the end of the school year, the parents reported to the

teacher that dressing time was no longer a problem at home. The

mother said, "It helped us both through the rest of the year. I

stopped yelling at him, and he was very proud to dress in such a

short time." Paul earned enough money to purchase the light for

his bicycle. He commented to his mother after purchasing the

light, "It was fun."

40.

DAWDLING AT SUPPLRTIME

Dy

Mrs. Shirley Humphreys and Mr. Dittrich

Ken was a fouryear-old boy, described by his father as "a

real poke" at the supper table. This dawdling behavior was de-

fined as taking 30 minutes or more to finish eating his supper.

Procedure I

For nine days Lhe father recorded and graphed the number of

minutes Ken spent eating supper. Figure 1 shows that he once took

90 minutes, and once, GO minutes; on four days he took 50 minutes.

Eating time in this period averaged 49 minutes.

DAYS

ACCEPTABLE TIMEUNACCEPTABLE TIME

Figure 1. A record of Ken's time to complete supper.

Procedure II

On day 10 Ken was given a chart. He was told he could stick

41.

a colored star on the chart each time he finished his supper

in 30 minutes or less. On days that he took longer, his father

put a black mark on the chart.

At the time these procedures started, Ken and his family

were anticipating a visit from grandparents. Ken's father had

suggested that his son might have expected to use acceptable

eating time to impress his grandparents. Figure 1 shows that

for the first eight days of this procedure, Ken nEver took more

than 30 minutes to eat his supper. For these eight days, eating

time dropped to an average of 27 minutes.

On day 18 the family learned that the grandparents' visit

had to be cancelled. Ken's eating time became variable. For

the next 25 days of this period, eating time averaged 33 minutes,

and ranged from 10 minutes to 66 minutes.

Over the entire 33 days, Ken averaged 32 minutes to complete

his supper.

Procedure III

The father reported that on or about day 43, a new agreement

was made with Ken. He was told when he earned five stars on five

successive days, a black mark, already on the chart, would be

erased. Fifteen successive stars would eliminate all the black

marks on the chart. For the next two weeks, Ken usually completed

hi:, supper in 30 minutes or less. This met his parents' criterion

for acceptable eating time.

Beginning on day 57, Ken's eating time was recorded as accept-

able ( "+" in figure 1 ) when he completed his supper in 30

minutes or less. Otherwise, the time was recorded as unacceptable

("0" in figure 1). For the final 35 days of the study, his eating

time was acceptable 82% of the time.

42.

Discuf,:.,ion

Ken's father reported eating time generally ranged between

25 and 30 minutes. He concluded, "The stars eventually really

dominated those ugly black marks." The parents also agreed that

Ken's general eating behavior had improved greatly during the

period of this study.